Expansion joint



June 24, 1941. J. MacK, SPEARS 2,246,903

EXPANSION JOINT Filed April 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 asepfi M S ears.

' I 33% m a a June 24, 1941. J. MacK, S 2,246,903

EXPANSION JOINT Filed April 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Expliliiilioal Application April 12,1939, Serial No. 267,473

(Cl. ti l-18) Claims.

This invention relates to expansion joints for concrete roadways. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to that type of expansion joint forconcrete roadways and the like wherein asphalt or similar plasticmaterial is employed as a filler for the upper portion of the spacebetween adjacent road sections.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientexpansion joint whereby any expansion or contraction in a roadway may beprovided for so as to avoid cracking of the concrete, the arrangementbeing such as will not only prevent dirt and similar foreign matter fromentering the space between the road sections, but will also effectivelyprevent water from passing down between the sections and accummulatingthereunder, this being a highly important characteristic of the devicebecause of the damaging effect of the freezing of such water in winter.

A further object is to provide an expansion joint embodying means forsupporting the joint filler, which means may be repaired or entirelyreplaced with a minimum of labor and expense.

Another object is to provide an expansion joint having a relatively widerange of expansion and contraction without danger of rupture.

In the drawings, wherein the invention is illustrated as applied to aconcrete roadway,

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of a longitudinalsection of a concrete roadway including the present expansion joint, aportion of the roadway being broken away,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the filler-supporting element,

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View illustrating aportion of a concrete roadway embodying a modified form of theinvention,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the upper portion of aconcrete roadway in vertical longitudinal section embodyin afurthermodified form of the invention,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of thejoint shown in Figure 1, having a top cap applied thereto such as isused during the installation of the joints illustrated in Figures 1, 3and 4,

Figure 6 illustrates a further modified form of the invention, and is afragmentary longitudinal vertical section of a roadway wherein theexpansion joint is applied between two adjacent road sections in thecourse of construction, and wherein the cover cap is yet in position,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View showing an end portion of thejoint shown in Figure 6, with a road section poured at one side thereof,and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of the cover cap used inconnection with that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and'7.

Referring to the drawings, Ill indicates generally a concrete roadwayand II indicates adjacent sections between which is shown an expansionjoint made according to the present invention. The expansion jointincludes a spacing unit designated generally at I2 and comprising a pairof parallel wall plates I3 and I3a connected at their lower ends by adownwardly curved web portion I4. Adjacent their upper ends, the wallplates are bent throughout their entire length to form laterallyextending and oppositely disposed elongated eyes I5. Between the wallplates I3 and I3a are metal channel members I6 having a cross section inthe shape of an inverted U, one leg of which is attached to the plate I3by welding or otherwise, while the other leg bears against the plateI3a.

Referring to Figure 2, I1 designates generally the filler-supportingstrip which is preferably made of heavy canvas and each longitudinaledge of which'is provided with a bead I8. This bead may be formed bystitching the canvas around a cord or rope of a suitable size, or it maybe formed in any other suitable manner.

In Figure 5, there is illustrated a removable cover cap which is usedduring the installation of the forms of the expansion joint illustratedin Figures 1, 3 and 4 toprevent concrete, while being poured, fromfalling on the strip IT. This cover cap comprises a strip of woodl8vsufficient- 1y long to extend entirely across the roadway and havingits lower portions I9 reduced in thickness resulting in shoulders 20 atits opposite sides. These shoulders are grooved as at 2 I, the groovesbeing adapted to receive the upper edges of the wall plates I3 and I3a,as shown in Figure 3.

When using the joint shown in Figure 1, the supporting strip is firstplaced in position within the spacing unit I2 by threading its beads [8into the eyes I5 of the Wall plates I3 and I3a so that the strip I Iwill extend the full length of the eyes. The spacing unit is then placedin a vertical position transversely of the roadway, at the desiredpoint, in which position it is held with the use of pegs at its sides,in the usual manner. The cover cap illustrated in Figure 5 is thenplaced over the upper end of the spacing unit I2 so that the upper edgesof the wall plates I3 and I3a will be seated within the grooves 2 I. Theconcrete is then poured and when it is sufliciently hard the tionscontract.

confronting ends of the road sections are rounded at their upper edges,by troweling or otherwise, as shown at Ha, after which the cover cap iswithdrawn. The asphalt or other joint-filling material 22 is then pouredinto the space between the road sections II and upon the strip I'l untilit reaches a height just above the tops of the plates [3 and l3a. Thetop of the filler will then be somewhat below the surface of the roadwayso that when it is compressed due to the expansion of the road sections,it will not be forced above the roadway and form a ridge thereacrossr Itwill be clear from the above description that when the concrete has setthe eyes I 5 will be tightly anchored therein so that the wall plateswill be held securely against the confronting ends of the adjacent roadsections at all times. The curved web l4 and the channel member I6 willbe sufficiently resilient to expand and hold the wall plates against theconcrete as the road sec- "It is to be further understood that thefabric strip I! will be so wide between'its beaded edges as to permit ofconsiderable slack between the wall plates andthus allow for any naturalcontraction of the road sections.

Shouldthe asphalt filler become so damaged as to permit Watertoseeptherethrough, such Water will be'trapped by the canvas strip 11and will 1 notbe permitted to settle. beneath the roadway. -Should anyamount of Water collect .upon this stripit will flow into'and along theeyes l5 and be thus discharged" at one side of the roadway 'or theother. comeso damaged at any pointas to permit water Should thesupporting strip I! 'beto leak therethrough, the filler 22 may beremovedand the damage repaired by means of a c'anvaspatch held in placeby asphalt. If desired, however, the, entire filler support may be drawnfrom theeyes 15, after the filler has been removed; and a new supportingstrip threaded the'channel members It, as shown in Figure 2.

Instead, the wallplates 23 are spaced apart by a core 25' in the form ofa slab of cork or otherre- 'silient material having a thickness equal tothe space desired between the adjacent ends of the road-sections, andhaving a length sufficient to extend entirely across the roadway. Thelower portionsof the wall plates 23 are disposed at opposite sides ofthe core 25 and are attached thereto by pins 36. -When this form of'theexpansion joint is put to use the strip I! is threaded into the eyes 24,the core 25 supporting the wall plates 23 is secured in upright positiontransversely of the roadway by means of pegs, the covercap illustratedin Figure 5 is placed over the upper edges of the wall plates 23, andthe concrete 2! isthen poured in theusual manner.

. ..After the concrete is set to a sufficient degree .the. cover cap isremoved and the filler is then poured between the road sections onto thestrip I], asheretofore explained.

'In. the form of the invention illustrated in Fig- .ure' 4,-28 indicatesadjacent sections of the con- .crete road. In this construction-eyelets29 are formed in the confronting ends of the road sec- .tions byremoving the core 25 and wall plates 23 shoWnin Figure 3. This isaccomplished by drawing these parts from the side of the roadwaywhentheconcrete has set to a sufficient degree.

The supporting strip I1 is then threaded into the eyelets 29 after whichthe filler 22 is poured onto the strip I1 until it has reached a heightsomewhat below the level of the roadway.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig ures 6 and 7, 30designates opposite ends of road sections between which the expansionjoint is placed. This form of the invention also includes thefiller-supporting canvas strip I! employed in the other forms. Insteadof being supported in eyes at opposite sides of the space between theroad sections, as in the forms heretofore described, the longitudinaledge portions of the strip H are stitched or otherwise secured aroundmetal bars 3| which are embedded in the mutually adjacent faces of theroad sections. In order that these bars 3| may be positioned at theproper height, when the concrete is poured, several substantiallytriangular supporting members indicated generally at 32 are employed andare equally spaced across the roadway, as shown in Figure 7. Thesupporting members are prefersubstantially at right angles to the baseand the latter being inclined towards the former. The

.upper or free ends of these armsv are the same distance from the base33-, are spaced apart, and

are .each provided with a terminal seat 36.

This form of the joint also includes a strip of cork 'or other resilientmaterial 31 which extends entirely across the roadway, as shown inFigure 7,

- and which is provided -with equally spaced 33 of thesupporting members32.

- face of. the-strip 31.

notches38 in its lower edge to receive the bases The cork strip 31,Which-is of a thickness equal to the distance between the ends of theroad sections, has its upper edge portion disposed between thecanvaseovered bars 3|, and its upper edge face supports the slack of thecanvas strip I! in the manner illustrated.

In Figure 8, there is illustrated a cover cap, designated generally at39, to be used inconnectionwith that form of the invention justdescribed. This cover cap-consists of a strip of wood or similarmaterial 40 having a length equal to that of .the expansion joint andhaving its lower portion rabbeted at opposite sides to receivemetalstrips 4| whichare attached to the strip 40 and extend downwardly beyondthe lower face thereof in spacedrelation.

When this form of the invention isplaced in position for use, the basesof the supporting members 32 are placed in the notches 38 of the corkstrip 31 after which the latter is secured in a vertical positiontransversely of the roadway by means of pegs,.in the usual manner. Thesupporting members 32 are also secured with pegs so that their legs 34and 35 extend vertically upward. The bars 3|, having the strip I!attached thereto, are then positioned in the seats 36, after which theslack of the strip is folded as illustrated in Figure 6.

When the expansion joint has been placed in position as just described,the cover cap illustrated in Figure 8 is applied to the upper portionthereof in the manner illustrated in Figure 6; that is to say, with thelower faces 'of the metal strips 4! resting on the marginal edgeportions of the filler-supporting strip I! so that the intermediate orslack portion of said strip 11 will be housed Within a pocket formed bythe metal strips 4|, the lower face of the strip 40, and the upper Inthis way; the fillersupporting strip will be protected against contactby the concrete. When the latter has set to a sufficient degree, theconfronting ends of the sections are rounded at their upper edges bytroweling or in any other suitable manner, after which the cover cap 39is withdrawn. The jointfilling material 22 is then poured into the spacebetween the road sections onto the supporting strip i1 until the fillerhas reached a height somewhat below the level of the roadway.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when the concrete of theroadway has become firmly set the bars 3|, together with theirencircling portions of the supporting strip H, will have become firmlyembedded in the face of the road sections at opposite sides of thejoint. The road sections may then expand and contract due to theresiliency of the strip 3'? and the slack in the filler-supporting stripW.

What is claimed, is:

1. An expansion joint for a concrete roadway formed of longitudinallyspaced sections, said joint including strip-supporting means in theconfronting faces of the road sections, said stripsupporting meansincluding channels having bulbous bottoms, a fabric filler-supportingstrip bridging the space between the road sections, said strip havingbeads at its longitudinal edges, said beads being removably supported inthe strip-supporting means, the width of said strip being such as toprovide a slack portion between the road sections, and joint-fillingmaterial supported by said slack portion.

2. An expansion joint for a concrete roadway formed of longitudinallyspaced sections, said joint including wall plates having laterallyextending supporting members intermediate their ends, each of saidsupporting members having a channel with a bulbous bottom, said platesbeing disposed against the confronting faces of road sections with theirsupporting members embedded therein, a fabric filler-supporting stripbridging the space between the road sections, said strip having beads atits longitudinal edges, said beads being removably supported in saidbulbous bottoms and being adapted to be threaded thereinto transverselyof the roadway, the width of the strip being such as to provide a slackportion between the wall plates, and joint filling material supportedonsaid strip.

3. An expansion joint for a concrete roadway formed of longitudinallyspaced sections, said joint including a spacing unit comprising spacedwall plates, a resilient member between the wall plates for holding thesame in spaced relation,

said wall plates having oppositely disposed laterally extendingsupporting members intermediate their ends, each of said members havinga channel with abulbous bottom, a fabric filler-supporting stripbridging the space between the wall plates, said strip having a bead ateach of its longitudinal edge portions, said beads being removably heldin said bulbous bottoms and being adapted to be threaded thereintotransversely of the roadway, the width of the strip being such as toprovide a slack portion between the wall plates, and said strip beingadapted to support joint-filling material.

4. An expansion joint for a concrete roadway formed of longitudinallyspaced sections. said joint including a spacing unit comprising spacedwall plates connected at their lower ends by a curved web portion, aresilient member connected to the inner face of one of the wall platesand bearing against the other wall plate, said wall plates havingoppositely disposed laterally extending supporting members adjacenttheir upper ends, each of said supporting members having a channel witha bulbous bottom, a fabric filler-supporting strip bridging the spacebetween the wall plates, said strip having a bead at each of itslongitudinal edge portions, said beads being removab-ly held in saidbulbous bottoms and being adapted to be threaded thereinto transverselyof the roadway, the width of the strip being such as to provide a slackportion between the wall plates, and said strip being adapted to supportjoint-filling material.

5. An expansion joint for a concrete roadway 1 formed of longitudinallyspaced sections, said joint including wall plates having fiat endportions and intermediate portions bent to form members provided withchannels having bulbous bottoms, said members being embedded within theconfronting faces of the road sections and said fiat end portions beingdisposed against said confronting faces, a fabric filler supportingstrip bridging the space between the road sections, said strip havingbeads at its longitudinal edges, said beads being removably supported insaid bulbous bottoms and being adapted to be threaded thereintotransversely of the roadway, the width of said supporting strip beingsuch as to provide a slack portion between the road sections, andjoint-filling material supported by said slack portion.

JOSEPH MACKAY SPEARS.

